Typically, seawater is converted to drinking water by distillation, or reverse osmosis desalinization processes. Recent advances in Forward Osmosis processes utilizing concentrated draw solutions can result in lowering the temperature and pressure requirements. However, it still requires elevated temperatures far above normal seawater temperature to evaporate the chemicals used as solutes in the draw solution. The elevated temperatures, pressure, and energy requirements of typical seawater conversion processes result in large, expensive, energy-inefficient processing plants for large-scale conversion.
Due to population growth and universal desires to improve the living conditions, there is an urgent need to increase the supply of potable water. Increase in water reuse and many conservation methods may help to alleviate the shortage, however, increase in supplies would provide additional relief.
Thus, there is a need for a less expensive, more energy-efficient process of producing drinking water from seawater.